Shout Outs and Rants: Episode 153, The CW 25 Edition
Rescission of DOE Guidance — Highway to NIL Podcast
DOE Guidance and DOJ Statement of Interest — Highway to NIL Podcast
Title IX — Highway to NIL Podcast
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: Recent Developments Affecting Student Loan Origination and Servicing
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Gavels & Gowns - Responding to Borrower Defense to Repayment Applications
Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast Episode: The U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision Invalidating the Biden Administration’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan and its Potential Legal Repercussions
A Deep Dive into the Debate Over Federal Student Loan Forgiveness
Compliance Perspectives: Changes to Title IX
New Title IX Regulations: A Seismic Shift During a Pandemic (Webinar Recording)
Investigating Sexual Misconduct in High Education: Potential Pitfalls During Title IX Investigations and How to Avoid Them
Congressman: My Plan Would Reduce Student Loan Defaults: Video
On July 29, 2025, the U.S. attorney general released a new memorandum providing guidance on the application of federal antidiscrimination laws for recipients of federal funding—including private and public colleges and...more
On April 24, 2025, the U.S. District Courts for the District of New Hampshire and the District of Maryland issued separate orders blocking enforcement of all, or large portions of, the Dear Colleague Letter (“DCL”) issued by...more
On April 24, 2025, Judges Landya McCafferty and Stephanie Gallagher, sitting in the United States District Courts in New Hampshire and Maryland, respectively, issued rulings blocking the U.S. Department of Education (DOE)...more
On April 24, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia blocked the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDOE) efforts to enforce its interpretation of Title VI and its associated certification requirement. The...more
After giving educational institutions two weeks to comply with the Department of Education’s Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), on February 28, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued Frequently Asked Questions About Racial...more
If nothing else, the early days of the Trump administration 2.0 have been a whirlwind of legal activity. Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have of course been at the forefront and on February 14, 2025 the federal...more
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) directing educational institutions that they are prohibited from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring,...more
On February 14, 2025, the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance clarifying how the Department will interpret federal laws that prohibit schools and other entities receiving...more
On Friday, February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) issued a “Dear Colleague” letter advising federally funded schools that it considers any decisions or benefits based on race,...more
On February 14, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (DOE) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which calls for educational institutions to immediately cease race-conscious practices in student...more
Imagine you're sitting in a conference room with a group of administrators and staff across various schools and departments, discussing budgetary constraints, campus resources, and student group initiatives—a day like any...more
The US Department of Education’s (the Department’s) Office for Civil Rights issued a sweeping “Dear Colleague” letter on February 14, 2025 outlining a new zero-tolerance policy for the consideration of race in any regard by...more
On Jan. 21, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO), “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” Broadly speaking, the EO purported to prohibit what it characterized as unlawful...more
The legality of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DEI”) Programs has come under immense scrutiny beginning with the change in presidential administration. On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued executive order 14173...more
On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a “Dear Colleague” Letter (DCL) and emailed it to K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions around the country. The DCL...more
On Friday, February 14, 2025, the United States Department of Education (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) setting out its interpretation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,...more
On Feb. 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague” Letter providing compliance guidelines to educational institutions receiving federal funding and subject to Title VI of the...more
In a tersely worded “Dear Colleague” letter dated February 14, 2025 (pdf), the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) signaled its intent to combat “pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and...more
How can colleges and universities respond to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions decision? Alston & Bird and Huron Consulting offer strategies institutions can use to retain their diversity, equity, and...more
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, many postsecondary institutions have engaged in a review of their recruiting, admissions, and other policies and procedures. To guide...more
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the decision in Students for Fair Admissions vs. President and Fellows of Harvard College, which ruled that an applicant’s race, by itself, cannot be considered as part of who should...more
The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division have published a joint Dear Colleague Letter (Joint OCR and DOJ DCL) that, together with a Q&A, provides...more
Colleges and universities can still take steps to foster diverse and inclusive campuses — even after the Supreme Court’s decision severely limiting race-conscious admissions in education, according to the latest guidance from...more
As it promised in June, the Biden Administration published much-anticipated federal guidance on higher education admissions on Aug. 14, 2023. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (ED) and U.S. Department...more
A Department of Education letter and Q&A document outlines lawful ways for universities to promote diverse student bodies. Higher education institutions are urged to “redoubl[e] efforts to recruit and retain” students...more